5 House Plants That Don’t Need Much Water

Whether you’re a diehard water conservationist or you just, well, forget sometimes, there are plenty of advantages to owning plants that don’t need a lot of watering. You save time, you save resources, and you save yourself the heartbreak of coming home to a dead houseplant. These five unique plants are perfect for your home or office, and they won’t mind if you forget to water them every now and then.

1. Snake Plant.

Native to West Africa, the Snake Plant gets its name from its long, slender leaves, and is also sometimes referred to as “mother-in-law’s tongue,” because of the leaves’ sharpness. The super adaptable Snake Plant can get by with minimal sunlight and minimal water, making it a very forgiving plant indeed. An added bonus: one study by NASA found that Snake Plants are especially good at improving indoor air quality.

As you might expect from its name, the Desert Rose gets along great in drier climates, and can go long periods of time without water. This popular houseplant does need plenty of sunlight, and it can’t survive cold climates, but otherwise it’s very low-maintenance. One important warning: the Desert Rose’s sap is poisonous, so keep it out of reach of pets and children, and wash your hands if you get sap on them.

Also known as Air Plants, Tillandsias are some of the oddest houseplants around.†They are epiphytes, which means they absorb nutrients and moisture from the air, rather than soil. Instead of planting it in a pot, you can mount it on just about any surface; instead of watering it, you just need to give it a generous misting with a spray bottle a couple of times a week. Most varieties prefer to be soaked in water for about 30 minutes each week. (You can then re-use the water for other plants.)

This tropical plant is a fixture in malls and offices here in the U.S., where it’s usually planted in massive quantities and blends into the background. Plant one on its own though, and you’ll really see the beauty of the ZZ’s lustrous, vivid green leaves. Overwatering the ZZ Plant is actually more dangerous than under-watering, so it’s great for occasionally negligent (but still caring!) plant owners.

Another plant that really lives up to its name, the Ponytail Palm’s curious leaves often resemble a flowing mop of hair. Although it’s a common houseplant, the Ponytail Palm can also grow up to 6 feet tall when left outside. This amazingly low-maintenance plant only needs watering every week or two during the sunnier seasons, and only once a month during winter.